Multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm, Patrick Parsons, has strengthened its environment and energy offering with the creation of a new department.

As part of the continuing growth and expansion of the company’s environment and energy division, asbestos consultant Edward Charlton has been appointed as associate director to develop an asbestos survey department from the firm’s head-quarters in Newcastle.

Edward has over 25 year’s asbestos consultancy experience working in London and the North East and will head up the accredited department which specialises in asbestos management and refurbishment and demolition surveys within domestic, commercial and industrial premises.

Patrick Parsons’ environment and energy division has undergone significant expansion over the last year, including the creation of new teams in Birmingham and Glasgow, as a result of growing demand for the firm’s ground engineering and geo-environmental expertise. The new department will compliment Patrick Parsons’ other disciplines like building surveying, providing a one-stop-shop to safely and efficiently identify and manage asbestos.

Edward Charlton commented: “I am really excited to be leading the development of a new asbestos survey department at Patrick Parsons in Newcastle. I am really looking forward to increasing the depth of knowledge and expertise we can give to our clients and to help relieve their time pressure.

“The department offers impartial independent advice and flexible solutions to enable clients to meet the ever tightening asbestos safety and legislative requirements and to help develop and cost their projects safely and accurately from the outset through to completion.”

Dr Grant Richardson, director of environment & energy at Patrick Parsons, added: “We have offered asbestos management services since our division’s inception, but the opportunity to bring Ed on board to develop and expand this specialist service in house is very exciting, given his first class experience and reputation in the industry. I worked with Ed over 18 years ago near the start of my consultancy career and was thoroughly impressed with his style, approach, client care and his ability to effortlessly build a successful, high performing team from the ground up.

“This is an exciting addition to the suite of environmental services Patrick Parsons already provide our clients and allows them the flexibility of having us manage more of their project workload.”